The present invention relates to a device for the quick inhalation of drugs in powder form by humans suffering from asthma.
It is known that the drugs for treating asthma are inhaled and that, usually, inhalation must be repeated several times a day. Consequently, these drugs are normally sold in the form of ready-made pocket-size packs.
It is also known that the foregoing drugs have long since been marketed in the form of sprays, the therapeutically active agent being atomized in a gas, e.g. freon.
Recently, however, pharmaceutical compositions have been developed wherein the drug is in the form of a very fine powder contained in a cylindrically shaped, round-ended capsule made of a rigid, pierceable material, which have substituted the spray packs.
The drug is then inhaled by means of a device suitable for carrying out the steps of piercing the capsule at two or more points of the capsule and conveying through the pierced capsule an air stream which causes a suspension of fine drug particles in the air to be formed.
Such air stream is brought about by the patient who, after having introduced the inhalator into his mouth, draws in air.
To properly carry out the foregoing steps the inhalator must be provided with means suitable for piercing the capsule, drawing therein the air stream caused by the suction exerted by the user, and causing the suspension to leave the capsule and enter the user's mouth.
Several types of these inhalators at present on the market are, however, cumbersone, complicated and expensive. Consequently, these devices have to be reused, whereas for reasons of hygiene and, particularly, owing to the difficulty of keeping the mouthpiece clean it would be proper and more convenient to have available inhalators which can be disposed of after one single use.